Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/394

332 sent us to take possession of it; but what was our surprise, when, having been introduced to the surgeon, he led us into one of the wards of his hospital, where he shewed us seven beds, which he said had just been made ready for us. There was neither table nor chairs in this place. It was in vain that we represented to him that we were not sick, and did not wish to become so by living in an hospital: his answer always was, that, according to the orders of his Excellency the Governor, he had no other lodging to offer us.

We were obliged at last to appeal to the Governor, and to make him sensible, if possible, of the harshness of such a mode of proceeding with respect to men, who, upon their return from a long and toilsome expedition, undertaken for the advancement of the arts and sciences, had a right to expect a better reception from a civilized nation. It was not, however, till after parleying for several hours, that the order for our imprisonment in an hospital was reversed. We were now permitted to live in the centre of the town, and this was our prison.

Some time after we obtained permission to go to the distance of about 2,500 toises from Samarang, but with the restriction that we should not approach the sea-coast.